Story highlights

The Rahami family runs the First American Fried Chicken restaurant in Elizabeth, New Jersey

They filed a lawsuit in 2011 alleging discrimination and harassment from the city and police

(CNN)Bombing suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami's family accused the city of Elizabeth, New Jersey, and its police department in 2011 of discrimination and harassment.

The Rahami family runs the First American Fried Chicken restaurant in Elizabeth. In 2011, the city council voted to close the restaurant at 10 p.m. because of "all the people hanging out there" around the clock, Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage said Monday.

Owner Mohammad Rahami and his two sons filed a lawsuit claiming the city conspired to "discriminate" and "illegally harass" them by subjecting them to citations for allegedly violating a city ordinance on hours of operation.

The defendants, including police officers and city officials, denied the allegations.

Federal court records show the case ended in a "statistical closing." Bollwage said Monday the 2012 ruling on the case favored the city, adding that the family's restaurant was "disruptive in the city for many, many years."

Photos:Explosion in Manhattan

Photos:Explosion in Manhattan

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, right, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, second right, look over the mangled remains of a dumpster Sunday, September 18, in New York's Chelsea neighborhood. An explosion injured 29 people there the night before.

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Photos:Explosion in Manhattan

Authorities believe the blast was caused by an explosive device in or near this dumpster. All 29 victims have been released from hospitals, according to the governor.

The New York Police Department's Counterterrorism Bureau tweeted this image of the crumpled dumpster following the explosion in Chelsea.

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Photos:Explosion in Manhattan

Just blocks away from the explosion, a suspicious device was found. Officials said the device appeared to be a pressure cooker with dark-colored wiring protruding, connected by silver duct tape to what appeared to be a cell phone.

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Photos:Explosion in Manhattan

De Blasio, in the blue tie, speaks at a news conference near the scene on Saturday. He was joined by New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill.

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Police block off a road near the site of the explosion.

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Firefighters and emergency workers gather at the scene.

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Police officers and firefighters respond to the scene.

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A New York police officer and his dog check a garbage can close to the scene of the explosion.

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Two heavily armed police officers survey the scene.

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New York police at the scene of the explosion.

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A bomb squad vehicle arrives at the scene.

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Police arrive at the scene of the explosion.

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A street is blocked off nearby.

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Police and firefighters gather near the scene.

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A crowd gathers near the site of the explosion.

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A line of emergency vehicles near the scene of the explosion.

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Onlookers gather on the street.

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Zobyedh Rahami, believed to be Ahmad Rahami's sister, posted on Facebook asking for privacy on Monday.

"I would like people to respect my family's privacy and let us have our peace after this tragic time," she wrote.

Since the bombings, Yelp users have posted scores of negative reviews on First American Fried Chicken's page that include Islamophobic insults and other derogatory remarks.

In a pop-up ad on the restaurant's page, Yelp acknowledged the wave of negative reviews, warning users that some reviews may be deleted if they were "motivated more by the news coverage itself than the reviewer's personal consumer experience with the business."